Alaska State Troopers were notified on Tuesday by the Village Police Officer in Tuntutuliak, Sally Andrew, who relayed to them that it was reported by a traveler that two intoxicated men on the river trail outside of Tuntutuliak had possibly suffered a snow machine breakdown.

A search was initiated by rescuers.

Officer Andrew would locate one of the two men, 41-year-old Casey Lewis in the village at 3 p.m. Lewis related to to Andrew that he had left the other man, 61-year-old Pat Pavila behind after the man jumped off of the snow machine.

Lewis left the village then returned and reported that he had found Pavila on the ground and had felt his chest for a heartbeat. He told Andrew that he couldn’t feel one.

Andrew contacted Alaska State Troopers of the development and two HASTY teams were dispatched, with two snow machine riders each, to search for the man. An Alaska State Trooper aircraft was also dispatched for the search of Pavila.

Searchers had no luck in finding the missing man for another four hours.

Then at 7 pm, the aircraft searching for Pavila spotted him walking on the trail. The aircraft alerted searchers on the ground of the discovery, and Pavila was picked up by a searcher.

According to Andrew, searchers were unable to find Pavila because he had wandered into the treeline and fell asleep. Searchers had passed by his location but he had remained undetected.

It wasn’t until Pavila awoke to the sound of the aircraft that he moved out of the treeline and was spotted by the aircraft overhead.

He was taken back to the community uninjured and in good health.

Pavila reported that he had left Lewis passed out on the trail to walk home.

Trooper dispatch stated that alcohol was a factor in the incident.